Destroyer to leave Pearl for Mideast

The guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane will depart from Pearl Harbor this morning on a deployment to the Middle East and Western Pacific, the Navy said.

Cmdr. Derek Trinque, the ship’s commanding officer, said in a release that the O’Kane "will support ballistic missile defense requirements" in the Middle East as well as conduct other missions.

The O’Kane and five other Pearl Harbor ships have the capability to shoot down ballistic missiles, the Navy said. The other ships with that capability are the destroyers Russell, Paul Hamilton and Hopper and the cruisers Lake Erie and Port Royal.

Cleanup volunteers to hit Sandy Beach

Dozens of volunteers will pick up trash on Sandy Beach tomorrow as part of a cleanup hosted by the Surfrider Foundation and solar company RevoluSun.

The community service event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon with a free barbecue lunch for all volunteers afterward.

In light of the Gulf Coast oil spill, the Surfrider Foundation hopes to promote clean energy and other viable solutions to avoid offshore drilling.

Volunteers are asked to bring old plastic bags for trash pickup and reusable water bottles for hydration.

RevoluSun and Surfrider tents will be at the park between the lifeguard stand and shower. For more information, call Steve Mazur at 469-5022.

Reserve shut 2 more years

The state says it will continue to restrict access to the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve on Maui for another two years.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources first limited access to the reserve in 2008 after monitors said its marine pools and lava tubes were being trampled upon and contaminated with litter.

The state said Wednesday it needs to keep parts of the reserve closed so it can develop a long-term management plan that would allow for public access while protecting the reserve’s resources.

Areas known as the Aquarium and the Fishbowl are closed. But Waiala or Kanahena Cove and the coastal area along Ahihi Bay are open.

Those found in restricted areas or in the reserve after visiting hours could be cited or arrested.